Teacher Denied Invalidity Benefits After Decades of Service

Tonight, a lifelong educator is asking whether nearly three decades in the classroom, and more than twenty years of Social Security contributions, count for anything now that he can no longer work. Gerardo Aldana, a former Santa Elena Primary School teacher, says a severe back injury and five herniated disks have left him relying on family for support, yet the Social Security Board still hasn’t approved the invalidity benefits he applied for almost ten years ago. Forced to resign and now struggling to get by, he’s questioning the system he paid into for most of his working life. Here’s what he told us.

 

On the Phone: Gerardo Aldana, Former Teacher

“So I went on one year sick leave and after that I was getting full pay and then I went to half pay and no pay. At that time I had no option to resign from my post to apply for my gratuity. It took me a while, but I got it. And since then I applied to go medically unfit and they said I had resigned so I will not qualify. I also applied for my pension. So, after that time I tried to speak to officials from Government to consider my appeal and they said well you resign so there is nothing we can do about it. Since then to now I have been going through Social Security and it seemed like it went missing and missing and I don’t see how it could go missing. So, I had appealed and wrote to the governor general and no response at that time. When I went to social security they said that they needed a report from a neurosurgeon so they directed me to go to this neurosurgeon in Belize City and then at first we thought it was three but it was five and he said we can do the surgery but it is expensive and risky. So I said I would pause on the surgery because I don’t want to end up in a wheelchair. At least for now I am walking and I am not going to do that. So I went to Social Security and they said go and do your surgery and if you are in a wheelchair then you come back and apply again. I said I cant deal with that. Since then I have been waiting, waiting, I sent emails and no response.”

 

SSB Probes Teacher’s Long‑Delayed Invalidity Claim

 

After nearly a decade of waiting, former teacher Gerardo Aldana says his pleas for invalidity benefits have gone unanswered, despite a career-ending back injury and more than twenty years of contributions. His case has raised serious questions about how the system treats long‑serving workers who fall ill. Tonight, the Social Security Board is responding. SSB’s Public Relations Manager, Vanessa Vellos, tells News Five the board has launched an investigation into Aldana’s claim, and she says they’re treating it as a top priority. Here’s what Vellos had to say.

 

Vanessa Vellos, Public Relations Manager, Social Security Board

“This matter is currently under review. So I am not able to give you a specific comment on what the claims in the media has been his experience with the SSB. It has been my experience that when these cases pop up there is always another side to what is being said. This is something we are actively investigating internally at this time and I think it would be premature for me to say anything beyond that because we need to know what are the complete facts of the case if you will.”

 

Paul Lopez

“However can you appreciate the frustration that people feel when there in a situation like this after making their contributions for almost three decades?”

 

Vanessa Vellos

“Definitely I can appreciate any level of frustration that nay insured worker or retired person may feel if there is any claim that they have made and maybe they have been told that they are denied that particular claim.”

 

Attention readers: This online newscast is a direct transcript of our evening television broadcast. When speakers use Kriol, we have carefully rendered their words using a standard spelling system.

 

Watch the full newscast here: